The Finest Casualty
by BerkleyDrive
Summary: Cole Pendery meets a new target during an unfortunate event; Will Jay Behlendorf reconnects with a girl from her elementary school; Gabe Morales struggles with her girlfriend of five years; David Scarzone is hiding a secret; and Dana Vaughns finds a new person who might just teach him a thing or two. After releasing Heartless, what love casualties await the boys of IM5?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1: Cole's Bad Day**

_Shit._

I can't even feel my legs anymore. I take out my keys and walk towards my car, cursing like a sailor in my head. Let me clear this out, I love dancing. It's awesome that I get to sing and dance for a living, but sometimes I just hate being this tired and this sore every day. I unlock the doors and hobble inside, careful not to put too much weight on my right foot. I was running late for rehearsals today and tripped on the way to the studio. To make things worse, I must have twisted too fast, or stomped too hard, during one of the dance routines. Either way, my right foot is killing me.

I settle down on the driver's seat and notice right away that something is wrong. Something is starting to stink inside my car. I look around, checking for whatever it is that's been fouling up my interior. The culprit, I realize, is a rotting banana inside my compartment which I'm pretty sure is Dana's. "Fuck! Oh my god, this is gross," I say, particularly to no one in the parking lot as I take the banana out with a tissue paper. "Oh... Yuck!" It's soggy and wet with slimy juices trailing on its sides. I try not to gag while I take a picture of it so I can blame Dana tomorrow about the freaking banana that he forgot to eat, and got baked in my compartment for hours under the hot Cali sun. I spray my car with freshener and roll down my windows to air the smell out before finally getting in and driving away towards the Hollywood Freeway.

Thirty minutes into the drive and I can feel the pain on my foot getting worse. I start moving restlessly, shifting from time to time and feeling my whole body tighten. I'm not really good at tolerating pain, I can't even look when doctors stick a needle in my arm. Once at a yearly health check up, I almost crushed Dalton's wrist while he stood by me during a blood test. My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I feel beads of sweat on my forehead as I drive through our usual California traffic, my right foot pressing down on the accelerator. I feel a chill running down my spine as I shift gears and move slowly past the traffic, breaking every once in a while with difficulty. Finally, after a few grueling minutes, the cars in front of me start moving at a better pace. I feel like my foot is about to split in two. I hit the pedal, willing to get to my house as soon as possible. _What the heck am I going to do with this?_ I have to feel better by tomorrow morning for our show with Todrick Hall. I take my right hand off the wheel and reach down to feel my foot, momentarily taking my eyes on the road.

Bam!

I jam on my breaks too late and stifle a moan of pain. My eyes widen at the realization that I just hit the silver Kia in front of me. "Oh my god..." A tall woman in a beige camisole and white lace shorts steps out of the silver car, takes off her sunglasses, and sticks it on top of her hair. She surveys the damage then walks to my window and knocks so loudly, I was afraid she would shatter the glass. I take off my seatbelt and limp out of my car as quickly as I can. "Dude, what the fuck? Are you drunk?! Are you fucking stupid?! I had my signal light on, I was going to turn right!" she screams, her face flushing red with anger. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see your signal, I was-" I start mumbling.

"You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm calling the police." She whips out her phone from her pocket and taps furiously. I feel my heart pounding in my ears. "Hey, I'm sorry. We don't need to call the police, I'll pay for the damage, I swear. Okay? It's my fault, I'm really sorry." I look at her, straight in the eye and pleaded with mine. _Oh God, please. Perez and Simon will not be happy about this. _"No. Even if you do, I still need to call them because I need to make a report! Hello?" She turns away from me to talk to the officers on the phone. _This day is getting shittier and shittier by the moment._

I pace in my place by the side of the road, ignoring the growing pain on my foot. Then I hobble towards the collision point, surveying the damage. This is the first time in almost two years of driving that I've ever hit something or someone. I literally have no idea what to do. I circle the car to see both sides. It's not a huge hit, nothing that comes close to a Fast And Furious damage. My bumper did make a dent on the side of her car. I see scratches on my customized bumper and I instantly see my dad's disappointed face as I sit on the hood of my car, my frustration growing. _This is definitely not my day._

"Right... Okay. Thank you." I hear the woman sigh so loud, you would think she's breathing fire. We're lucky the accident happened by the side of the highway. At least we didn't have to redirect bypassing cars. "Hey," I hear a voice to my left. I turn to her, half expecting to see smoke flaring from her nostrils. No smokes or fires so far. I guess it's because it wouldn't look so good with her pointed nose and pretty, angular face. "How old are you?" she asks, facing me from across the hood. "I'm 18." I say, sulking. On a normal day, I would pair that number with a charming smile. My Prince Eric smile. But at this point, I couldn't even muster a grin. She shakes her blonde head gently and I hear her whispering, "Oh Jesus fuck."

"I can pay for it, I swear." I say, trying to keep the irritation off my voice. I hate it when people treat me like a kid. "Yeah, I'm sure you can," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. _Wow. Now I'm a bratty, immature teenage kid._ "I have a job. I bought this car on my own." I say in defense. "Really?" She mutters, smiling to herself. She looks up to me, crossing her arms against her chest. "What's your name?" she asks, tilting her chin up to me. "Cole."

"Cole? You shouldn't be driving, you know..." She says, her blue eyes piercing through me. "I'm 18," I stress. "I have a license, I can drive." I stand up despite the sudden pang of pain just to prove my point. I'm almost as tall as she is. I walk slowly, dragging my right foot to the passenger side of my car. I want to get in my car and just avoid this lady before I say something rude, which could make matters worse for me. "It's not because of your age, idiot. It's because of your foot." I stop halfway through opening the door. "What do you mean?" I ask.

I watch her walk around her car and stride towards me, her hands in her pockets, her feet neatly tucked on a pair of pink flip flops. "Must've hurt to drive with your right foot," she says plainly, looking down on my shoes. "Call your parents, or your friends, whatever. Tell them to pick you up, you shouldn't be driving on your own. They'll get here in time, the cops will take a million years, I tell you. The traffic is worse at this hour." She talks without breaking eye contact and I couldn't help but hear the gentleness on her voice while her icy blue eyes scan me. I raise my eyebrows at her as I watch her lean on the side of her car and as if on autopilot, I open my car door and stoop to retrieve my phone from the dashboard. I dial Dana's number.

"'Yo man, what's up? Did you make it home?" Dana. I couldn't help but sigh. "No, bro, I'm stuck on the side of the freeway. Can you come over?" I state flatly, feeling slightly better with a friend on the phone. I look up to see the woman watching me intently from where she is. "Yeah, man, it's kind of an emergency. I crashed into another car and I need someone to drive me home. Are you still with David or Gabe?" I ask, hoping they could come over before the police comes in. I'm still silently freaking out. "Oh shit... Don't worry bro, we're coming back. I'm with David right now. David, you drive, don't you?" I hear a murmur in the background. "No, like, you can just drive this one and I'll drive Cole's. Yeah, his car is stick, I think. Cole, is your car stick shift?" He asks me and I answer back quickly. "Yes, it is."

I hear Dana and David discussing in the background and I wait, shifting restlessly because I can feel my right foot throbbing under my weight. Had I left the studio earlier, I would've made it past this silver Kia and Dana would have been right behind me to witness and help right away in case I bump into someone else's car. "Right, David's gonna drive my car and I'll drive yours. Hang in there, bro." I give him the specifics of my location and he tells me they'll be around soon. "Okay. Thanks, bro. I'll see you." I put my phone down and watch the lady open her car to reach for something under the passenger seat. She takes out a white transparent plastic box the size of a shoe box, closes the door, and comes to me.

"Take your right shoe off," she orders before kneeling on the concrete in front of me and setting the box beside her. "What?! No!" I say, knowing quite well that my feet could be stinking inside these sneakers after hours of sweaty dancing. "Stop being a princess and just take your shoe and your sock off." She looks at me with her ocean eyes. I blink away the shock and lean forwards, my face a few inches from her, to untie my shoe laces and take my shoe and sock off. For some reason, after leaning towards her and coming back to my original position, I couldn't take my eyes off her. From where I sit I can see her cleavage peeking through the tops of her loose and flimsy camisole. I budge when she starts pressing her cold fingers tightly on my ankle. "Owww!" I shout, failing to hide the pain. She shakes her head and rolls my pant leg higher. "Jesus, kid, what happened to you?" she asks. I stare at my swelling ankle which, I now realize, has grown to the size of a golf ball. "Dancing. Oh crap, Oww!" I feel her fingers probing and touching. She asks me which part hurts the most as her fingers roam along the sides of my ankle. "That one! Shit..." I say, biting my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain. "Here. Okay, that's good!" She exclaims and starts pressing the center of the swelling in a gentler manner.

"Good?! How is that good?!"

"It's good because it means this is just a sprain. No fractured bones, no misaligned nerves," she says, her voice calm and gentle as she opens her transparent box, neatly filled with medical supplies. _Woah, this chick knows her shit._ She takes a small bottle and pours blue green colored oil on her hand. She looks up to me, smiles nicely, takes my right foot, and puts it atop her knee. I feel my insides unhinging as she rubs her hands together in circles and massages the oil on my foot. "Owww... Ohhh god." I moan, both in pain and relief. My hands reach for the edges of my car's hood and I hold on tight as the oil cools off on my skin. I feel like my whole ankle is cooling down from the inside and warming upwards. "Oh wow, that actually feels good," I say as her warm hands glide not just on my ankle, but the rest of my foot. She applies gentle pressure, soothing the pain away with little presses and smooth rubs. "How does that feel?" She asks, quietly lifting her face up to me while moving my foot in circles, her fingers pressing gently on my ankle."

"Uhh... That feels..." I try to keep myself calm while searching for the right words. Not awesome, because it's still a bit painful. Not good, because if I do say that I know I'll say it wrong somehow. I shoot for the simplest word because I'm starting to melt under the hot afternoon sun and her mesmerizing stare. "...better." She nods and takes her hands off my foot. _Jeez, I was actually enjoying that._ I watch her clean her hands with alcohol and take a small package of brown gauze. She wraps my foot with it tightly, but gently and slowly. I feel the coolness of the oil being sealed to my skin. She tucks the remaining cloth and secures the gauze with a bobby pin from her hair. "There, that should see you until tomorrow. Don't wet it." She pats my casted foot, sets it inside my shoe, and ties my shoe laces for me.

"Wow, thank you..." I say, still stunted by the quick escalation of things. "You're welcome..." I see a smile creeping across her face. She packs her things and stands up. "So, do you always have that kit with you?" I ask, finally giving her a small portion of my Eric smile. She looks at me, still smiling gently while dusting away her knees. "Of course... I'm a nurse." I assume it's an answer she often paired with a cute smile. She turns around and walks back to her car where she keeps the kit hidden away under the passenger seat. I can almost imagine her saving lives in the middle of a highway traffic or on a plane, a thousand miles up in the air. "Cool..." I say, feeling awkward. Then I realize I don't even know her name.

"So," I say as casually as I can while watching her bend down to fix her car's passenger seat. "What's your name?" I ask before looking away from the sight of her tight, white lace shorts. I hear her close the door. "I'm Lena," she says, her smile fading away again. "Nice to meet you," I say, watching her move towards the sidewalk to sit. "Oh, you can sit here," I say moving a bit to the side and patting the hood of my car. She sits beside me non-chalantly and didn't speak for a while. On a closer, sideways, look I see that she's not as bad as I thought she was. She has long blonde hair that I think would fall in curls down her waist if it wasn't braided neatly along the sides of her head. The rest of her hair was tucked in a tight bun. From where I sit I can see her long lashes that curled upwards, her cheekbones set high, her jaws curving sharply, and her chin small and pointed. She has those broad shoulders and toned arms fit for cradling babies, her hips and her thighs were shapely and generous. But her waist was notably small, like she had been wearing a corset all these years. I didn't even dare look at her boobs again because, damn, I'm already thinking babies. _What the heck, Cole._ I look away before noticing the car parking behind mine.

"Cole?" I hear Dana calling from behind. "I'm here!" I call out and watch Dana appear by the side of the road. "Yo, bro. What happened?" I hear him say while walking around the other car towards me, David trailing behind him. "Hey, man, thanks for coming back for me..." I say slowly rising to my feet to greet both Dana and David with our customary handshake. "I sprained my foot and jammed on the breaks too hard. Didn't see it coming..." I explain, pointing to the other car. "Oh my god... Are you sure you're okay?" David says, inspecting the damage. I nod and catch Dana blatantly staring at Lena. They look at me, as if asking me who this girl is. "Oh, yeah, uhh... This is Lena. That's her car." I say pointing to the silver Kia. "Hello, I'm Dana." He offers his hand with a curt nod and shakes her hand. "I'm David, Nice to meet you!" I blink as David shakes her hand too and offers her his blindingly gleaming smile. "Okay, well... This is not a nice situation but good to meet you too..." Lena answers sarcastically. David seems to be taken aback.

We hear sirens approaching and my heart leaps from my chest. I feel my hands clamp as I watch two officers approaching us. One was a tall, black guy and the other was a short, redhead woman. "Good afternoon, gentlemen... Ma'am," says the tall one, approaching us. The woman beside him nods at us and readies her small tickler notepad. "We heard about the accident, may we know who are the drivers involved here?" I raise my hand slowly and turn to look at Lena who's raising her hand as well. "That's me. I'm Lena Derby, I own the silver Kia," she says, standing up and shaking their hands. I try to stand and walk beside Lena. "I'm Cole Pendery." I say briefly and they shake my hand before walking towards the two cars and surveying the collision. I watch the other woman take photos of the damage and notes while Lena recounts the accident for the both of them without skipping a detail. I find out that she was on her way to the hospital for her shift and I instantly feel the guilt knowing she's going to be late for work because of me. I start mumbling in my defense, not really knowing what to say. "Uhh... Yeah, it's my fault, officer. I'm very aware of that but I-"

"Yeah, about that... I'm pretty sure we can work something out here with Lena. I mean, we probably don't have to go public about this, right?" Dana says, inserting himself in the middle of us all. "Because, if you didn't know, Cole and I are in a boyband and it really wouldn't help if Cole-"

"Dana, its okay." I say, hoping that playing the good guy here would keep me out of a bigger trouble. "It's my fault, really. I didn't mean to cause trouble but I did tell Lena that I'll gladly pay for the damages." I say, sighing, my hands scratching the back of my head. Dana's eyes widen at me. He's very adamant about talking me out of it and convincing the police not to put the blame on me. "Look," the tall officer finally says, a look of annoyance passing his face. "It's our job to take note of this accident, make sure it is settled, and that the person responsible for this is taken into account. Now, if Ms. Derby here presses her charges, I suggest you call your lawyers now so we-"

"No, there's no need for that." I turn to Lena, the calmness of her voice silencing every one of us. "I'm not pressing charges. I just want to make sure this incident is reported properly because I would need a police statement to claim my car insurance." She looks at me and nods while the other cop continues to write on her tickler pad. "Mr. Pendery and I have discussed the matter already. I've accepted his apology," she says, almost as casually as if she's talking about cute puppies and not smashed rears and colliding cars. A few minutes later we resolve to move the two cars apart with the help of Dana and David. Then we wrap up the police report details. Somehow, I feel like a boulder of worry was lifted off me. I'm sure Dad would flip out if I got jailed for this on top of my scratched-up bumper.

After a few minutes, the officers bid their goodbyes, leaving Lena, Dana, David, and me by the side of the road, working out how to take me and the car home. I see Lena looking at her watch and shuffling her feet. "Hey, Lena..." I say, touching her elbow. She looks at me, her face not budging. "I really appreciate your help... and for not pressing charges. I mean, my Dad and my managers would definitely kill me if I..." She smiles ever so slightly and my hands slip away from her elbow. I feel the need to hold my own smile a little because I might look too happy for this. "So, uhhh... I mean, I still want to pay for the damages if you'd let me"

"It's fine, Cole. But, I really need to go. I really need to make it to my shift."

"Oh, okay... Yeah. Well, I'll let you go now. Thanks again, like really. Thank you." I say, emphasizing each word of gratitude. "It's okay," she says nodding before she turns her back to me to get to her car. I look back at my own scratched-up car. David is settling in Dana's car and Dana is standing by my car door, looking at me with a puzzled look on his face, his two hands up in the air. "What are doing?" He asks out loud, his hand pointing to Lena who's busy climbing to her car. I turn to hear Lena's car starting up. I know I couldn't catch up with my foot if she starts rolling. I look at her side mirror and wave, hoping she would see me. She rolls down her window and I hurry to her side, careful not to mess my foot again. "Hey," I say, giving her my Prince Eric smile. Not effective. She isn't even smiling back and I see traces of surprise and annoyance on her face. I clear my throat and smile. "Sorry, please don't take this any other way, but I feel so bad about your car and I really want to make it up to you."

"Cole, you really don't have to." Lena says, her voice impatient, her face unimpressed. "No, really. Okay, I know you're in a hurry so why don't you just give me your number?" I say, possibly sounding too hopeful for someone who just wants to make things right. She seems to think it over and I glance at Dana who is now inside my car, getting ready to leave. "You don't have to. But I really, really want to know how your car is doing and if there's anything else I can do for you..." I add, licking my lips and raising my eyebrows for better effect. She looks at me with a blank face and I almost give up. I start backing away from the car, muttering an 'Okay' and putting my two hands in the air. That's when she sighs and reaches for her bag. She hangs her hand out from the window, holding out a card.

I take the card and look at it with a wicked smile. Not at all Prince Eric. I look back at her and watch her take the sunglasses from her hair to put it back on. "Thanks!" I say cheerfully as she slowly rolls her window up. She just nods at me, her lips forming a tiny smile. "Bye Cole..." she says, her sunglasses flashing at me. "Bye," I whisper, smiling brightly and waving the card to her as she drives away. Then I turn to Dana, sitting comfortably in my car. I wave the card at him, dancing foolishly like I didn't have a swelling right foot.

_Finally, something good today._


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: Will's Mundane Grocery List**

"Will, you sure you're okay here?" Gabe asks while we walk to the parking lot, his car keys jangling in his clenched left hand. "Yeah I'm fine! My mom's on her way, she's just running a little bit late," I say, smiling as always. I watch him run his hand through his hair, his blonde streak flopping messily to the side. "Okay, man. See you tomorrow," he says in his guttural, low voice before shaking my hand and walking away. In case you're wondering, this is how we do our brotherhood handshake: We put our hand out in a handshake or palms up position, do a clap-and-slide motion, bump our fists, and snap our fingers. Dana and Cole invented the handshake when we started the group. It's like a secret I-Love-You-Brother code which at first I thought was ridiculous because I can't pull off 'swaggy' like everyone else in the band. Now, though, it makes me feel like I'm a part of something.

I watch Gabriel's car go on reverse and drive out of sight. Dana, David, and Cole went ahead of us so I was left on my own for the time being. I open up 2048 on my iPhone to play the time away while I sit at the waiting area, my gym bag lying beside me. My mom called me a few minutes after rehearsals to tell me she's picking me up, so I had to skip riding with Cole or David home like I always do. A few minutes later I hear my mom honking just outside the gate. I shake my head with utter annoyance and run up to it before somebody screams 'Will, your mom is here!' to me.

"Will, dont forget your seatbelt," my mom says as if I would ever forget after years and years of being in a car with her. I buckle up quietly before turning to my mom. "What took you so long, Mom?" I ask, glancing at the backseat where my brother Alex naps silently. "I have to pick up Alex from school. He's very sick. The school nurse called me this morning so he can rest at home." I nod a little, and stare listlessly on the road before us, remembering how my Mom would drop me off and pick me up everyday at school, unlike my brother Alex who usually rides the bus. _I'm so glad I'm done with school._ "Oh, we need to go shopping for groceries. We'll drop Alex and your stuff at home," she says while driving.

"But I'm tired, Mom... Can't we just go later?" I whine. Rehearsals for our Twerk Du Soleil perfomance are always tiring to the bone. We want to perfect every single move and sound because, well, we know Todrick. He lives by the word 'Perfect'. "No," my mom's generic answer. "I have to get the ingredients for dinner and some medicines for Ken." I shut up knowing there's absolutely nothing I can do to keep her away from her schedule. Once at home, I drop my gym bag somewhere in my messy room, shower, and change into fresh clothes.

The good thing about being in a boyband that is not as big as One Direction, but not so bad in terms of fan count, is that you can do mundane things such as grocery shopping without the paps and the chaos. My life is pretty much normal when I'm not performing. The only difference is that I'm dog tired from dancing and singing all the time and that's not half as bad as it sounds. I check the grocery list for the bathroom products we need while Mom is busy choosing which fish to cook for dinner. I stop and reach for the huge bottle of shampoo on the top shelf.

"Oh my god, look at his arms... Can you see which brand he's using? I bet he smells so good..." I hear someone whispering down the almost empty aisle. I turn around to find two girls scurrying off to the next aisle. _Okay... Not as anonymous as I think I am._ I instantly regret wearing an old t-shirt from junior high. I fix it as best as I could before looking for my mom at the fish section. "What are you smiling about?" she asks, seeing my stupid Li Shang stage grin. "Nothing..." I say before shrugging non-chalantly while she places a container of Dory fish in our cart. I go back to her list and stroll towards the meat section with her.

Everywhere I go, I make an effort to pick up heavy stuff. I know those fans are still following me, I can hear their fake interest in hotdogs. "We don't need hotdogs, we have that at home." I purse my lips and try not to laugh. "Well we should at least buy something!" I can tell the voice is younger, more childish than the other one. I follow my mom to the produce section. "Mom, should we get brown rice?" I ask, hoping for another show off opportunity. _I'm such a boy sometimes._ "Yeah, we need more rice," says the Asian lady I'm with. I don't even wonder why I was chubby and frumpy as a kid. I go to the rice section and pick up a heavy sack of brown rice. As I was lifting, I hear a loud camera click and I couldn't help but shake my head at the obviousness of it all. People are starting to look.

"Hey," says a thin, tall guy standing near us as I place the sack into our shopping cart. "Aren't you the Mulan guy in the Disney Dudez viral video?" he adds, smiling at me and my mom. I give him my blinding Shang grin. "Yes, that's me!" I say, suddenly feeling shy to be reminded of my Mulan outfit. "I saw that on YouTube! Cool video, man!" I can't believe a 6 foot-ish guy with a deep, manly voice is telling me that singing Disney songs in a prince-slash-princess outfit is cool. "Thank you!" I say politely and I glance at my mom to find her grinning even wider. "That's my son. Thank you, Mister, you are so nice!" She says, awkwardly holding a bunch of kale. "Yeah... Let's go mom..." I say, taking the kale out of her hand and strolling past her to the next aisle. By the time we get to the check out counter, everyone is smiling at us and asking me for selfies. _Jeez, they don't even know who I am._ On the way home, I pick up my phone to tweet: "If your mom comes home today and tells you she met a boyband member at CostCo, please tell her I apologize for my awkwardness."

The next day I find myself with the boys inside a cramped dressing room at the backstage of Twerk Du Soleil. It's chaotic, to say the least. Todrick's company of singers and dancers are busy doing their makeup, costumes, vocalizations, and dance routines. "Jesus, this is making me really nervous," David says before guzzling more water. "You'll be fine, man!" says Dana who, as always, is just chilling by the makeup counter. It's this part of being in a boyband that I like the most. You have people around who feel the exact amount of pressure, nervousness, and anxiety that you have and yet you support one another knowing you need them, as they need you. "Yeah, just don't be awkward, dude. Don't be like Will." Gabe says, laughing. "That's so mean, but yes, I should be the only big ball of awkward here," I say, claiming the title proudly like it was a crown and making them all laugh. They like picking on me, but in a very endearing way. I'm used to it. "See, that's why Will's still single," Cole says choking on his laughter. I roll my eyes at him playfully and smile. I'm probably the only one in the band who's single and without a proper prospect. They've been bugging me about it for months, even years, but I'm just not like them. "That's because you're the one who gets all the girls," I say without even thinking.

Dana starts laughing out so loud, and David almost sneezed water from trying not to laugh. "Oh my god, bro, its so true! Hey, Cole, what happened to the girl you crashed into the other day?" Dana says, making Cole smile and blush a little. "I didn't call her." He answers like it's the most normal thing to do. They start telling us about the accident and the nurse and it baffles me that they never told us during practice yesterday. "She's too old for me, bro. I checked her Facebook yesterday. She's 25! Besides, Cass will kill me if she finds out," Cole says, finally remembering his goddess of a girlfriend. He takes his phone and opens up the girl's Facebook page for us to see. Everyone in the dressing room agrees that she's hot except for me. "Hey Will, d'you want her number?" Cole says, wiggling his two eyebrows at me.

I grin and glance at the blonde girl on the picture again. "No, she's not my type." I say and I hear Gabe snicker from behind. "What?! She's blonde and it looks like she's a party girl. She'll think I'm just a nerd kid," I say, giving Cole his phone back. "Dude, you ARE a nerd kid," Dana says, emphasizing my awkwardness all over again and we all laugh knowing it's the truth. "Cole, are you sure you'll be okay with your foot?" David interjects and we all look at Cole's bandaged foot. "It's cool. It's still a bit painful but it isn't swelling anymore so I think I'll be fine."

Todrick's assistant and bestfriend, Chester, who also plays Wilfred on our web series, knocks on the door and enters the dressing room. "Hey guys! Todrick says you're up in five minutes so make sure you're all set, okay?" We all nod and start scrambling around for the rest of our costumes. For the opening act, we're wearing our usual performance clothes; trendy casual clothes that follow a certain color block. Today, we're all wearing blue. Jill, our tour mother, comes in to our dressing room just in time for the stage call. She leads us to the backstage where we start doing our pre-show ritual. We pray, place our hands together in a circle, give each other encouraging words, and shout 'Break!' as we disintegrate into five bouncing balls of energy and nervousness. On paper that sounds really ridiculous and cliche, but being in a boyband makes those things acceptable, even enjoyable.

We come back to the dressing room after almost an hour on stage, sweating and panting a little but very happy. I sit on one of the make up chairs and take a swig of water before toweling off and changing costumes. The other half of the show requires us to dress up in our Disney Dudez costumes. Dana has his hairy Beast head piece to become Prince Adam; David puts on a red cape, transforming him to Prince Philip; Gabe strips down shirtless and covers his torso with nothing but a violet vest, much to the fans' delight, as Prince Ali; and Cole gently tucks his bandaged foot onto Prince Eric's boots. As for me, I fumble with a black Chinese top that falls down to my thighs so I could become a more laid-back version of Li Shang. One of my absolute favorites on this tour is singing with Todrick on stage. He's a huge mass of perfected talent. Even if he's walks late to the stage for most of our performances, he makes sure he'll give out 150% of his energy, something that's very hard to do in a tireless industry such as ours.

We're hearing so much giggling and chanting from the lobby by the time we change back to our normal clothes for the meet-up after the finale. "Cole, how's your foot?" I ask, suddenly noticing that he's having difficulty walking after the running, jumping, and dancing on stage. "I don't know, man, it's starting to get really painful again," he says before sitting down. I help him take off his boot, the other boys crowding around us. Cole takes off his bandage and we all gasp. "Oh shit, man, you have to go to the hospital, like seriously..." Gabe tells Cole. His right ankle was bruising and swelling again. It literally looks like it's about to turn into a gross violet-colored tennis ball anytime soon. "I can't man, the fans are going to be disappointed if I'm not there. I'll do another half hour, then we'll go straight to the hospital..." Cole says, clumsily putting his bandage back on. "You sure, bro?" Dana asks, worry scrawling on his face. Cole nods and pushes his foot into his casual shoes. "Okay then, I'll go tell Jill so she can drive us there later." I search for Jill in the hurricane that is the backstage to tell her about the group's dilemma.

At the lobby, Gabe stands up and announces that we have to shorten the meet-up to 30 minutes because Cole isn't feeling good. From then, it's a flurry of hugs and autographs for us. I think the best part of my job, all in all, is that I get a chance to meet the new and recurring characters who make up our decently sized fanbase. It is exhausting to talk and smile continuously for half an hour. _Jesus, my cheeks actually hurt._ But the happy looks on their faces and their compliments are not even worth all the smiles I can ever give. "Oh my god! Hi Will!" Says a very emotional Asian girl of about 12 years old, approaching me with her face wet with tears. "Oh hi, are you okay?" I ask, worrying that she would be uncontrollably crying once I hug her. "She'll be okay," I look up to the taller girl behind her. "Hi! I'm Christina," the older girl says, offering her hand to me. "I don't know if you remember me, but I went to school with you," I shake her hand and stare at her, trying to remember her face.

"Oh, you know Will?" David, who's standing beside me, pipes in while we shake hands, hers small and soft in mine. "Yes, we were classmates in elementary school," she answers with a smile. I look at her past-the-shoulders, jet black hair, her almond-shaped eyes, her petite body, and uniquely brown skin. "Oh my god, wait, I think I remember now... Were you in my homeroom?" I say, pointing a finger at her and raising one of my eyebrows. "Yup, and English and Math..." she adds, her smile warm and very familiar. I snap my fingers and grin at her like I'm unlocking an extra level on a difficult game. "I knew it! I didn't recognize you immediately because you don't have glasses or braces!" I say as I watch her nod enthusiastically. I take a look at the kid in front of me who's been staring and tearing up the whole time. "Is this your sister?" I ask smiling at the kid.

"Uhh, yeah!" she says, blushing. The girl starts sobbing again as I smile at her. "Awww, Hi! What's your name?" I ask, going down on my knee like the Disney Prince I am, so I can see her as she wipes her face. She looks just like Chrissy, only smaller. "I'm Cory... I love you so much, oh my god!" She says, almost as if she's in pain. "Oh shucks, thanks, I love you too!" I say, flushing because I know Chrissy is watching us. Cory starts to whimper when she hears those four words and I instantly regret saying it. _Well this is awkward..._ "Do you want an autograph?" I ask, standing up before she cries again. She just nods in response and I take out my sharpie. She hands me her creased poster with Gabe's, Dana's, Cole's and David's signatures on it and I start signing just under my printed, seriously-trying-hard face. I look up to find Chrissy biting her dark red lips, obviously suppressing her laughter. Her sister continues to cry, saying "Oh my god, I can't believe this..." over and over again. She mouths a small 'Sorry' to me and I just smile all the more. "Uh, let me take a picture of you guys so we can go!" She positions the camera that hung on her neck in front of her pretty face and focuses it. I put my arm around Cory and gave my best Shang smile while Chrissy counts to three. "Hey, thank you so much! You were awesome back there!" She comes closer to me and smiles before collecting her sister. "Thank you!" I must have said thank you a million times in my lifetime now, but this is probably the first time I ever got to say this to her in many years. I watch her move away from me and I find myself calling her name, also probably for the first time in many years. "Chrissy, hey, listen," I hear myself say and she looks back at me in surprise. There's another girl waiting for me but I hold my hand up and take my chances. "You should give me your number, lets talk again!"

I feel all eyes on me as I smile at my former classmate. She gapes at me for a second before resorting to a shy smile. "Oh, uh, sure!" She scrambles to find a piece of paper to write on. "Here," I say, lending her my sharpie. While I wait for her, I turn to greet another girl and thank her for coming to the show. We take a quick selfie and immediately after, I turn to Chrissy who walks up to me quietly, knowing everyone's watching. She gives me my sharpie back and hands me a folded up receipt, her fingers brushing my knuckles. "Thanks again, bye!" She waves at me and runs to Cory who seems so confused. The rest of the boys are looking at me now, wiggling their eyebrows like I have been caught doing something nasty.

"What?!" I say defensively as I sign another poster.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: Gabe's Early Morning Call**

The hospital isn't the best place to rest after a show and a long meet up, but Cole is in a really bad shape so we collectively decide to stick around for him and his mom. By the time we got here, his right foot was almost blue from dancing all night and standing too long. We were scared that he might not be able to perform in the next couple of nights. We don't have a backup plan for this. When Dalton left a couple of months back, we didn't know what to do either. Everything we have, all the songs we made, were for five people. David, who we already knew for over a year and who was a friend of Dana's from Chicago, joined us shortly after that, making us five again. What's bugging me is that Twerk Du Soleil sold out big time in LA. They were talking about the possibility of adding two more nights even before the opening of the show. If this happens, we need to split up Cole's parts and fix our steps and formations to cover up his absence. _Oh, that would suck so bad._

I look at everyone's faces around me and they are just exhausted. Jill, our tour manager, is drinking coffee by the door and I thank God she's there because I can guarantee Dana, who's lying horizontally on five hospital chairs, and I won't be able to drive back home. It's surely going to be another school bus ride for us. David's lucky because he lives near downtown LA so he's pretty close to our rehearsal studio. That's probably why he still has the energy to take selfies while sitting beside me. Will is busy staring somewhere invisible. I don't think he's thinking about Cole's possible sick leave, he's too far off. I can tell by the way the rest of his body is sitting slack on the chair but his fingers are moving restlessly, rotating a piece of paper in between his thumb and his index finger. Then I remember the girl with the crying sister during the meet and greet session.

"Hey Will," I say, playing the older brother role once more. He looks at me like a kid lost in thought. "Call her, we'll pretend were not listening," I add, making Dana giggle like a kid. "Who's the girl?" Jill asks, knowing that this might be the first time Will has ever gotten or asked for a girl's phone number after a gig. "Will found his childhood sweetheart during the meet up," says David says. Dana and I start cooing like babies. Will turns red with silly boy shyness, but he surely isn't mad. "She's not my childhood sweetheart..." he answers, looking defensive while staring at the piece of paper in his hand. "She's my elementary school classmate. I didn't even recognize her." He's in story telling mode now and for the first time I actually want to keep it coming so every one would liven up. "Why, what did she look like?" I probe, leaning forwards.

"She had super long, straight black hair. And she was so small, like, she's still petite but in elementary she was always in front of the class because she's the smallest one. I think she's as tall as Dana now." Dana suddenly sits up straight. "She looks Asian, though, or black. She's like, super tan!" Dana adds, his hands moving minimally while talking, which means he's feeling loopy from exhaustion. "Yeah, I think she's Filipino," Will says, his eyebrows shooting upwards.

"Will, you said you didn't recognize her because she wore glasses and braces," I turn to look at David. What's surprising about David is that while he does look like a dumdum from afar, he's actually very receptive, has a knack for asking good questions, and has a good memory. "Yeah, she's like... Do you know that show Ugly Betty?!" Will asks, as if he's just thinking out loud. "Oh, yeah! I remember that..." says Dana. I squint and try to remember the exact face of the Asian girl and her sister but I find it hard because the last hour is all just a blur to me now. "I mean, she wasn't ugly. She's just, like, super normal. Like, I didn't even realize we went to the same school until now. We never talked." I can see that Will's enjoying the attention and I press him more about it because I know he's not one to look at pretty faces. He's the kind of guy who would date Rebel Wilson because she's funny.

"So what made you ask for her number?" I ask, curious as to what's going on in his mind. We've known each other for more than three years but sometimes I feel like I don't really know him. Will has the tendency to act all weird, try too hard, or stay silent to please people. He doesn't like stepping on other people's toes. We often say that he's too nice. But more importantly, I want him to be more honest and open to us in the same way that we are honest, sometimes even brutal, to him. He's different today, though. The glow on his face is really different and I can tell this is new to him as well. "Well... I mean, I don't know. She's definitely prettier now and when she spoke to me it all felt so familiar..." I can't help but smile a little. Somehow, it reminds me of myself when I'm with Lexy. "Then what the heck are you still doing? Just go for it, bro!" I say, looking at him eye to eye and hoping he would follow my advice. I know how it feels, being so unsure. But if I didn't jump on it the way I did about a year ago, I would not have had Lexy. He nods in response, as if thinking it all over. "Okay, I will..." Will answers, smiling so wide it reduces hi eyes to two happy slits. He whips his phone out and starts copying the number on the piece of paper.

"Hey, there's Cole." David suddenly says, pointing towards the hospital hallway. Cole's mom sees us and waves at us so we all wave back. We watch her make her way to us leaving Cole by the nurse's station. "How's Cole doing?" I ask, standing up to greet and kiss her cheek. The amount of time we spend in their house is enough for her to qualify us as her sons too. "Oh he's fine. We saw the x-ray and there aren't any fractures, just a bit of overuse," she explains while greeting the other boys. "The doctor said he needs at least a day's rest and some meds for the pain." Mrs. Pendery is such a sweet lady, anyone who meets her would see why Cole, is Cole. She's very reassuring, telling us he's going to be fine, but I couldn't help but voice out my worries so I turn to Jill. "Jill, we probably need to talk to Todrick about this if he's planning on adding two more nights to the LA leg..." I say and she nods in response. "Sure, I'll get to that tomorrow morning. Also, I don't think we have rehearsals tomorrow. I already told Simon, Armand, and Jamie what happened so I'm pretty sure you guys can rest up as much as you can." She looks around, a smile of relief crossing her face. "So, is everyone ready to go home?" She asks. Jill has been with us for the longest time in our careers, she's like family. But I also know she's got kids waiting for her at home.

Everyone around me nods appreciatively but I glance at Cole and see that he's talking to a nurse in a gleaming white uniform. "Wait, I think Cole's still chatting his way up to the hottie with the body," Dana says jokingly and I stick my elbow to his side before giving him a look. _The heck, bro, we're standing right beside Cole's mom._ Mrs. Pendery doesn't seem to mind. "That's the nurse he ran into," David says, referring to the accident. They weren't wrong about the woman's identity or her body, for sure. The woman, definitely not a girl, looks immaculate in a white uniform that's hugging her body so well, it's no wonder Cole enjoys being a patient. He has his game face on- his Prince Eric smile. I shake my head and walk up to them.

"No, it's fine, really!" I hear the nurse say, a warm smile glowing on her pretty face. I can see now why Cole is in a daze. I put my arm around him and smile. "Hey Cole, it's time to go, man..." I say, smiling politely. The guy clearly need that shake up before he disappoints his real life girlfriend. "Hi, I'm Gabriel, you must be Lena?" I say to her, offering my hand and squinting at the name plate on her chest. Impressive chest. _Okay, I might need the shake up too._ "Hi, nice to meet you! Please tell Cole he doesn't need to pay for my car or buy me dinner, my car's fine now. He won't listen to me," she says, shaking my hand. I raise an eyebrow at Cole and he gives me a sheepish grin. "Well I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me either," which I know for a fact is true, even if I'm older than him by a year.

"I feel so bad, man. You know me," he says, his eyebrows doing the same kind of talking. Oh I do know him. I know him too well to realize that he will not let it go until he gets the girl, sort of. "Yeah, well, how about this," I say, my hand patting Cole on the shoulder. "He'll bring you dinner here at the hospital when he's done resting up. Cole's mom makes really good food, you'll love it." Cole nods and gives me the handshake. She blinks in surprise at our fist bumping and finger snapping. "Yeah, how about that?" Cole says, baring his perfected smile. I've seen it so many times, I could recognize it from afar. I guess we all have those signature fan-melters. I always go for the Swaggy Alladin look, half smiling and half smug, but totally cool.

Nurse Lena smiles in response and gives us a giving-up sigh. "Fine," she finally says before rolling her eyes at us. "But that's it, okay? And go home, Cole, you need to rest that foot, make sure it's elevated. I have to go, my patients are waiting for me." She starts walking past us, muttering a small goodbye. We wave her goodbye and as soon as she is out of earshot, I play-punch Cole in the arm. "Dude, she's frickin' hot," I say, acknowledging the fact that Cole does have a keen eye for cute ladies. "But don't overstep it, you know Cass," I warn. Cole glances back at Lena, grinning as we walk. "Okay, but promise me you won't tell Lexy..." he says as he wobbles with me to the exit where the boys, Jill, and his mom are standing, waiting for us. "Okay, man, but just remember, don't do what I wouldn't do, okay?"

"It's just dinner at a hospital, bro" he answers, clarifying his position. I shrug it off and laugh, knowing quite well he's just saying that. "To be honest, that's like the first time she ever smiled at me. She's like a whole different person here, its weird." His voice is low and silent and I can't help but shake my head as we walk to Jill's car, ambling carefully behind the others. "Maybe she's just a happy worker," I say before moving away from him. We all say our goodbyes to Cole, who is riding home with his mom, before getting into the company-owned van and heading home.

It's almost 2:30 AM when I finally plop onto my bed and the first thing I do is dial Lexy's number. It doesn't even surprise me when she answers her phone after one ring, even at this hour. She's very nocturnal. I used to call her a vampire because she's so pale and she seems to never sleep during the night. "Hey babe, are you home?" she says, her voice raspy and sweet. "Yeah, how are you?" I ask, settling in my bed. "I'm good, just checking out my Tumblr..." she answers distractedly and I let out a chuckle. "I probably shouldn't even bother asking you what you're doing at this hour because that's all you ever do..." I'm not much of a Tumblr person, basically because I don't have time for it. Also, there was one time I tried checking my Tumblr tags and I was mortified by what I read, I never did it again. _That stupid im5tepede... Ugh._

Sometimes, Lexy sends me screenshots of photos and fan stories about us on Tumblr. It's not at all uncommon. She's known as Alex Moore, the pretty girl who sings on YouTube. I'm known as Gabe Morales from that multi-ethnic boyband on TV and on YouTube. Together, we are called 'Galexy', which is a ship name derived from our names. It's crazy being in a public relationship. Fans want to either keep you together for as long as you can, or break you apart. I've read so many posts and comments about Lexy and me breaking up that we've become accustomed to people panicking and speculating about us. I learned, throughout our relationship, that posting stuff about Lexy, talking about her on interviews, and using the ship name every once in a while helps keep our fans mentally sane. We went as far as dating on screen for our web series and for me that's actually better than how it sounds. Both she and Cass did cameos for #BandCamp as our dates, although Cass ended up with David, instead of Cole.

I tell Alex about my day, about Cole's foot, and about the magic that happens behind the curtains of Twerk Du Soleil. I tell her that I'm actually feeling sad that she didn't get to see me perform. "Oh babe, I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd run out of tickets that fast, your fans are crazy cool!" She says, only slightly apologetic. "You know you could've gone backstage with me," I tell her. She sighs over the phone, obviously getting irate over my senseless demands. "Babe, you know I can't just pop into the backstage, I don't like that. It's weird and it's awkward. If really want to watch you perform, I'll get tickets up front, I won't wait for you by the exit!" I can hear her voice growing a bit louder so I know I'm getting into her nerves again. These days it's been very hard getting her to come to my gigs. Between her studies and her own YouTube career, she been very busy to be there for me all the time. It's cool enough that I get to be with her on the set of our web series, which Todrick produces and directs, but I still miss her all the time. "Okay, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me..."

"I'm not mad at you..." She says, her voice soft in my ears. "I'm bummed I didn't get to watch you but what can I do?"

"Well, you could watch us again, if you want! It looks like Todrick's doing another night."

"Woah, really?"

"Yeah, they were ecstatic that the show sold out fast. They were talking about two additional nights for the LA leg. I can get you tickets if you want?" I say, hopeful despite my sleepiness and fatigue. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll call Cass and see if she wants to come with me." I jerk up from my half-sleep, remembering Cole's request just a few hours ago. "Oh, yeah, okay..." I say. It's hard to keep secrets from Lexy. Being Cole's secret-keeper when it comes to his 'fun talks' and 'friendships' is a lot harder for me than for Dana, whom he usually confides in, because it involves keeping secrets from Lexy too. Since the band started, and since we started dating, Cass and Lexy has become such good friends, they even do sleepovers and shopping trips together. I think about Lena and decide to steer clear. "Oh, how's Cole? Is he alright?" she asks, as if hearing my thoughts from the other side of the phone. I tell her that Cole's foot isn't fractured and that he needs a day's rest. I tell her about my worries for the second and third show. Cole is our ring master. He's always the bossy one and I like that about him because his take-charge attitude clears me from the responsibilities of being the eldest. With him out of line, I have to be the big brother and somehow it unsettles me.

"Awwww babe, don't worry! I'm sure Todrick will make a way." Hearing her voice is so soothing, it almost feels tingly. I toss in bed, feeling worse than tired but grateful. "I miss you so bad..." I whisper, trying hard not to sound as needy as I really am. We haven't seen each other in two weeks and I know that seems weird but I just like seeing her all the time. I'm crazy about her. "I miss you too, like, so much it's crazy..." she says, her voice low and quiet. I close my eyes and picture her here. "When can I see you again?" I ask, almost holding my breath. She's silent for a moment. "You can always come here in my house..." she answers after a while. It isn't such a bad idea, but it's not always possible. Lexy still lives with her parents and I'm living alone, away from Miami. Most of the time, she sleeps over at my apartment but lately she keeps asking me to visit her, put on some effort for her, say 'Hi' to her mom. "I'll try to drop by your place later after I work out, okay?"

"You could try saying you won't try... You could try actually coming here," she answers back after a few seconds of silence. It's almost a whisper in my ear, but it hurts my ego as much as a scream would. Silence. I'm too tired to argue, and she's probably just tired of it all, period. It surprises me that she's the one who breaks it first. "I'm sorry, I know you're tired. Let's just sleep now and figure it out later..." Her voice sounded like rippling water and my eyes fall even more. "Yeah... Okay..." I say, imagining her putting her laptop away and lying down beside me. _I wish..._ "So who's gonna be there tomorrow?" I ask, careful not to touch a certain subject. "I think it's just me..." she says, her voice teasing as always. "Good... I mean, okay..." I joke and she laughed lightly.

I'm not sure if anyone would believe me if I say it. I mean, if I tell the boys, which is very unlikely anyway, they would probably tell me I'm lying. But the truth is that I'm turning 20 and I'm still a virgin.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: David's Fancy Brunch**

"Hello?!" I hear myself say, half groggy from sleep. _God, why were phones ever made?_ "Christopher? You're still asleep, aren't you?" says the stern voice on the other line. I take my phone away from my face and open one eye to look at the clock and the caller ID. _Shit._ "Oh hey, good morning!" I say, suddenly alert and up. I can almost see her smug face as she scoffs at me through the phone. "Chris, it's 11 AM, we're supposed to have brunch at 10:30 AM," she says and I instantly find myself jumping out of bed and into the bathroom. "No, no, no, I'm on my way, I'm coming" I say taking my boxers off. "Right, text me when you're REALLY on your way" I hear her say out loud over the phone as I struggle to get the water running. "Okay, I lo-" She cuts the line and doesn't even let me finish. She never does. I shake my head, place my phone on top of the sink, and jump straight into the shower.

I look at my dad's silver watch and feel my body sweat, even after the quick shower. It's 11:30 AM and I can see her seething sweetly inside the little hidden cafe. "It's not brunch when you come in at lunch hour, Christopher." _Yup, she's definitely not happy about this._ I sit on the chair across her and prepare another sweet sorry for oversleeping. She raises one eyebrow up and glares at me with her green eyes and curled-up lashes. I look her in the eye and flash her a big bright Prince Philip smile. "I'm so sorry. I was so tired from last night. We came home super late because Cole hurt his foot and we took him to the hospital." She stabs her salad so elegantly with her fork and puts it slowly in her small, pinkish mouth. I start wishing that I could be that tiny piece of urugula, grazing her lips, or at least just the fork she uses. "Don't give me that smile, Chris. I know you're tired and you're busy but I run a company. I'm dog tired and busy too but I make it to brunch somehow."

"I'm sorry... What do you want me to do? I'll do anything so you won't be mad at me anymore..." I say, reaching out and touching her knee under the table. She looks at me, and I feel her softening like ice cream under the sun. She takes her martini and sips it quietly. "Eat your freakin' food, Christopher, that's what I want you to do." Christopher. She always calls me by my middle name, except when we're... When we're busy. I smile at her again and she gives me the tiniest grin that brightens up her face and raises her cheekbones. Then she touches the rim of her martini with her finger just as I'm cutting through my sandwich. I get hungrier when she does that. I eat a bit of my sandwich and continue watching her. "Why are you drinking at this hour? It's gonna ruin your hot body, trust me," I say in between bites. She rolls her eyes at me. "I'm an adult. Adults need a drink or two a day to loosen up. The stress at the office is killing me." She takes another small swig from her glass. "Why, what's the matter?" I never really liked asking that question, because I never really understood the business terms and office shit she's talking about. But she talks anyway and I know it helps her so I just let her.

She blabs about her new assistant and the new interns who sucks up to her like thirsty vampires. Then she shows me some of her new designs on her iPad and I coo at the niceness of them all. "Oh, by the way, I have something for you!" She takes a rectangular black box from her designer bag, pushes it to me silently across the table, then eats another forkful of her salad. My eyes widen at the golden embossed words, Gucci. I open the box and my eyes land on an amazingly shiny pair of sunglasses. "It comes in pairs, I have one too!" She says, smiling with her perfectly white teeth. I put in on and feel instant swag coursing through my body. She giggles and I smile just in time for the photo she candidly takes of me on her phone. "Oh wow, this is awesome..." I pause and place the glasses carefully back in the box. I think of my mom and what she would say if she sees this. "But are you sure you want me to have this? I mean, I-" I stop when I see her face, curt and slightly smiling. I knew she would hate for me to ruin the moment by giving it back.

"They're free..." She says, her voice tender and kind. It's these moments that I like best when I'm with her. "I don't need this and there's no one for me to give it to but you. Now, you can either take it and thank me, or sell it for me. It's up to you." She's suddenly has her best business face on, which I hate seeing. It makes me feel dumber and younger than I already am. I close the box and smile. "Okay, thank you. I will still try to sell it but I really like it, so thank you." I put my hand on top of hers and gave her a sincere smile. "So, how's you're little boy band?" She asks, holding up her fork and smiling as she ate. I scoff at her because I find it ironic that a fashion designer like her would be interested in my new line of work. She has never even heard me sing, much less perform live. But she was one of those who encouraged me to audition for the group back in Chicago. It was her tips that got me through so many screen tests and interviews. I drink my water and tell her all about yesterday, from hanging out at the backstage of Twerk Du Soleil, to meeting all the fans. "Oh wow, how many numbers did you get by the end of the night then?" She jokes, her lips turning up on one corner of her face in a smug smile. "I swear I did not get any!" I say, defensively laughing. It's a good thing IM5 fans are super young and not so forward- well most of them. "Oh, why not?! You should've asked for numbers especially from the pretty ones." She tucks a brown hair behind her bedazzled ear and I give her a pout before drinking my water. "What? I'm just saying, you should date the young ones, you know... Gain some better perspectives." Now she just sounds like the young ones. Or my mother. Whatever it is, I'm not liking it.

"Why? Don't you want me anymore?" I ask and she laughs in response, her voice sending my heart in a frenzy. "No, it's not that, Chris. I'm just saying... You shouldn't give your mom any reason to doubt you and your tastes in women..." Then she gets quiet. Whoever said that successful women aren't insecure was totally wrong. "Okay, what is this about?" I ask, putting my sandwich down and leaning forward to her. She just smiles at me so I stare down her barriers to see through whatever it is that's been bugging her. "I saw the fan videos from last night, it looks pretty awesome... You look good in red." She finally says, and I know my eyebrows are forming a knot on the centre of my face. "What do you mean?" I ask. She gives me a sheepish smile and I could not believe it when she pulls her iPad out again and shows me a video of IM5 performing Heartless with me in focus. Whoever shot the video definitely was a fan. She knew all the words to the song and sang along, even during Gabe's rap parts. "Whoever this girl is, please thank her for me. Now I know all the words to the song!" She exclaims before finishing her salad off. I just stare at her like a stupid scarecrow. "No. You do not know the lyrics to our song." I state, dignified and sure. "Oh yeah?"

She takes out her iPod and shows me her latest playlist, our song on top of it. She lays it on top of the table, presses play and lowers the volume so the sound would be heard just between the two of us. She sips her martini and leans forward. Then she starts singing it, words for word. From Will's part, to Dana's, to Cole's and to mine. She was bobbing her head to the music and my jaw just drops at the sight of her. When she gets to the rap part, I just start laughing uncontrollably and she does too but she continues to rap parts of it. By the time the song ended, I'm almost in tears. "Oh my god, I didn't know you knew our song. I didn't know you watch videos of me! What are you? Who are you?" I ask, surprisingly happy. I did a double take at myself while I watch her drink up to calm her flushing face. Yes, it made me happy in my heart to hear a 28-year-old business woman singing every word of a song written for 17-year-old girls. "I'm just me, David Chris..." She says then leans back and composes herself into her well-known business face.

She's the CEO and head designer of her own clothing line. The chic and urban street wear she designs are racked up in almost every department store in America. She has four offices, one of which is in Chicago, the other one in LA. She owns warehouses and apartments and condos and houses everywhere. She's one of the major sponsors of my dance company in Chicago and I have known her since I was 12. She's a friend of my mother and my aunt's best friend. But my mom doesn't know. Nobody knows. Nobody knows we have brunch almost every Wednesday in a fancy, obscure restaurant two blocks away from her office. Nobody knows she's been hoarding an 18-year-old kid, who sings in a boy band for a living, in one of her LA condos for almost three months now. Nobody knows we've been doing it for a year. Nobody knows anything because nobody needs to know. All that matters is us, this. And I know it's quite foolish to fall in love with an older woman but I actually have. I have fallen in love.

"David?" I turn to see Cass coming my way, black purse in tow. She's with Alex, Gabe's Alex, who, as always, is busy tapping on her phone. They sidle to our table to say 'Hi'. I can feel my blood pumping fast in my veins. "Cass, Alex, what are you guys doing here?" I ask, smiling dutifully. As the new member of the band their boyfriends belong to, I feel a certain responsibility to be extra nice and I don't even know why. "Oh we just went shopping and we wanted to buy something to drink before we head home. Well, Alex is heading home, I'm heading to Cole's house," says Cass. Alex waves and smiles at me and somehow, darts a look at the other person on the table. "Oh, guys... This is uhh... My..." I look at her, not knowing what to do. Amazingly, she puts her game face on. She raises her eyebrows slightly, eyes sparkling, and smile so sweet and curt you'd think she's 23.

"His aunt. Hi, I'm Briana Gallo, but please call me Brie," she says, offering her hand to the ladies. Cass' eyes widen in shock and she accepts Brie's hand reluctantly. Alex is obviously elated. "Oh wow," Cass says, almost gasping for air. "I've heard about you, I love your line!" She adds, giggling a little. _Here we go with the model talk._ They exchange pleasantries while I sink in my chair trying to calm my heart down, smiling in the background. "Well, thank you, it's nice meeting you girls," she says. I sit in attention when she looks at me with her boss eyes. "Sorry to cut this short but I have a meeting at 1:30 and I really must go. Christopher, Honey, can you get the check? Just use the emergency card I gave you, okay? Tell your mom, I said hello. And tell your dad I'll see him soon in Chicago."

"Oh... Okay." I stand up along with her and she kisses both my cheeks so casually, like the Italian she is. I feel heady with the smell of her cherry musk perfume and I wish she doesn't have to go this way. I wish I could wrap my hands around her waist and kiss her mouth and not have to pretend to be curt and respectful like this. She says her goodbye and walks out the door so gracefully, like a swan. "Oh my god. She's like, one of the up and coming designers in LA! Why didn't you tell us she's a relative of yours?!" Alex says and I just shake my head, not really knowing what to say. They sit down with me and order fruit shakes while I finish my sandwich. I know they wouldn't let me go until I finish the made-up story of me and my aunt.

How the heck am I supposed to tell them that my 'aunt' is my real aunt's maid of honor? How do I tell them that she sponsors my dance team's streetwear for competitions because she likes me? How am I supposed to tell them that I do, indeed, have an emergency credit card which she pays for? And that the shirt, boxers, and shoes I'm wearing were from her? How am I supposed to tell them that she's 10 years older than me and that she's really my girlfriend- Well at least that's what I think. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket just in time before I answer Cass' burgeoning questions.

_Brie: Aunt on Dad's side, half-sister. See you soon._

_David: Ok. Not using my emergency card. Paying for brunch right now. I love you, see you tonight._


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: Dana's Boring Homework**

"Yo, bro, how's your foot?" I ask, my hands busy with the wireless Xbox controller. I'm 99% sure Cole, who's on the other line, is doing the same thing. "It's okay. Still swelling, but it's not blue anymore and not as scary as the other night," he replies, clicking sounds looming in the background. I pause my FIFA game because my cheek-to-shoulder position is killing me. "Hey, bro, what happened to you and Lena last night?" The clicking stops and I hear him chuckle at the other end of the line. "Yeah, I'm bringing her dinner at the hospital tonight, man." Cole says. I shake my head and laugh. Since forming the band, Cole and I have been really tight friends. He's a year older than me, so it almost feels like having a slightly older brother, something I never had growing up. I watch him string out pretty girls and collect phone numbers like they were Pokemon cards all the time. "Do you want me to drive you there?" I ask, knowing he'll ask me anyway. "Yeah, is that okay? I called her this morning, she said she'll be in by 5 PM."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll pick you up at 4," I say before letting him go into detail about his plans for Lena. While Cole's busy blabbering, I start thinking of things to keep me busy from 5 PM onwards. I look at my desk by the window and stare at the mountain of school work I'm supposed to be doing right now. "Okay... So what are you planning to do after that?" Cole asks me. I know he doesn't mean to ask me what we're doing after dropping by at the hospital. Cole's a lone ranger when chasing down girls. He doesn't like getting me involved in things I might get in trouble for, he's cool that way. At least I wouldn't have to lie to Cass, or to anyone else, if she ever asks me what I know. I never know. No one does, except for Cole. That's how he always plays the game.

"I think I'll hang out at Starbucks for a while. I'll do some school stuff while you're at it. I have, like, a million things to do man," I say, still shaking my head. My due date is tomorrow and I haven't even started on one essay where I have three. I'm going to have to wing it somehow. I tell him my partial to do list for school: A chapter to read for Advanced Placement Psychology, two pages of Pre-Calc problems to answer, two English essays for a book to read along with that. "Come on dude, help me out. Just do one of my English essays for me..." I beg, hoping to get out of at least one thing today. "Hey, no, do your own homework and I'll proofread it for you, how about that?" He says, sounding like the big brother he is to me. I shake my head even though he can't see it. Cole's really smart at school though he rarely shows it. He's about to finish high school soon and Will, being the nerd that he is, is in community college while we do this boy band thing we're in. Next year I'll be the only one left doing high school stuff. "But my due date is tomorrow! Come on, man, help me out..." I say, racking my brains for some other way. "I can't, bro. Cass is coming over today, I need to prepare for tonight, and I can't move much because of my foot. It's driving me crazy!" He says. I can't help but laugh at him despite his predicaments. "Well, I say, forget Lena. I thought she's too old for you?"

"She's way too hot to let go, bro. Did you see her yesterday in her uniform? She's even hotter in all white and a nurse cap, its insane! And she was smiling all the time, it's so cute." He rambles on and on, making me roll my eyes. I tell him the back view looks good too but that I really don't think she's something he should pursue, or talk to at least. "No man, I really think I have a thing for sexy nurses. I just can't help it!" I hear him giggling at the other end of the line and I whine at the fact that he actually has a thing for anyone sexy, any girl actually. "That's not entirely true." He argues, the sound of doors drowning his voice. "Cass is here, see you at 4, bro!" Cole says.

"Alright, see you later bro." I say before ending the call. You would think that talking on the phone even during our free days is weird, but Cole and me, we don't really mind. I like checking in on him every once in a while, the same way he checks in on me all the time. _Right, now I'm stumped._ I walk to my desk and take my laptop and all my books and papers. I move to the bed hoping I could finish something if I start now. I stare at the blank screen for about 10 minutes before finally clicking on the Safari icon. I should be doing some research on Frankenstein for my paper but I find myself just staring and staring and staring. I check the time. It's almost 11 AM. _This isn't working._

I need someone to do my essays because I surely can't stare them into completion. I check Twitter for people who might be able to help. _Nope, I can't charm our fans for this._ I start searching things up on Google. In a few minutes, I land on a Tumblr page called "The Homework Girl". _Doing Somebody Else's Homework Since 2009._ I scoff at the silliness of the name and the tagline. _It's not even THAT funny..._ I scroll down and find myself gaping at it. The Tumblr page IS serious. It's full of humor and puns but it does answer all kinds of questions, from suggestive and stupid jokes to Advanced Math problems. I let my jaw hang open at the amount of followers and asks this Homework Girl gets. I start checking if she's real, or if her homework answers were actually correct, and they are. All of her answers were linked to credible sources, PDF files of existing studies from big time schools and periodicals. She cites books and pages, shows newspaper clippings and magazine articles. _Oh my god, she's frickin' good..._

**_Homework Girl_**

_**Doing Somebody Else's Homework Since 2009**__._

_Back in 2009, I met a boy in Chemistry class who's so good looking, it actually hurts. He became my lab partner, and later, my 'good friend'... And by 'good friend' I mean we made out every once in a while after finishing his homework for him. After a couple of months, I quickly realized that not only am I such a pushover and a sucker for abs, I'm also really good at helping people do their homework. The guy eventually dumped me. From then on I started tutoring kids, dating more stupid boys, and getting people to pay me for doing their essays and Math problems._

_Note: I will not do your whole homework for you on this Tumblr blog. However, I will gladly answer some of your homework-related questions, and everything else in between, for free. The accuracy of my answers are not guaranteed, but know that I only answer questions if I'm 80-100% sure of the answer. Drop them on my Ask or tweet them to my Twitter account ( HomeworkGirl). If you need 'extensive' help, check out my __Fiverr__ profile._

I click on the Fiverr link and woah, this girl is a pro. She does anybody's homework for five dollars and makes elaborate arrangements for her clients. She doesn't accept more than two clients at a time which is why she got me gaping at her reviews. People are actually praising her for helping them learn things more effectively and manage their time better. I immediately click to see her contact details. She's a car ride away. I grab my phone and call Homework Girl, my savior. "Hi, who are you and what kind of service can I do for you?" says a chirping voice from the other end of the line. The energy and cheerfulness of her voice makes me want to smile. Almost. Because I was half expecting a dragging 'Hello' for a response. "H-Hello?" I ask, making sure it's not a voicemail or machine of some sort. "Yep? Are you human? You talkin'? Because, in case you didn't know, you called a Batman hotline of sorts. You're doing the bat signal right now, you know..." she says and I try not to laugh at the obvious sarcasm I'm hearing. "Bat signal, wow, that's a good one! Yeah, uhhh... Hello, I'm looking for Homework Girl?" I ask, as confidently as I could.

"Okay, congratulations! You have reached Homework Girl. Now, press one if you're an ex-boyfriend of mine and two if you're not my ex-boyfriend so that we could proceed," she jokes, her voice business-like and rough. I laugh heartily. _This chick is crazy._ "Are you serious?!" I stupidly ask, making her giggle on the other and of the line. It's been a while since a girl giggled in my ear, just like this. _Woah, okay, let's not go there, Thoughts._ "Yes, this is serious... No, of course not, Jesus, just tell me your name. I have a confidentiality clause, I won't tell anyone you're about to ask me to do your homework for you."

"Oh good," I said, still suppressing my laughter as much as I can. "Uhh, this is Dana and I need to finish two 500-word essays before tomorrow. You up to that?" I ask, like a boss as usual. "What topics are we looking at here?" She says, coming back fast, her voice suddenly dripping with business overtures. I reach out to take my notebook and open it quickly to my messy handwriting. "Uhh, I need two different essays about Frankenstein. One is for its historical and geographical significance and one explaining the four points of rejection that happened in the novel." I answer, hoping it didn't sound too complicated. She's silent for a moment. I look at the clock again, 11:30 AM. "How soon do you need it?" I could almost swear I can hear her tapping away on her keyboard. "Uh, Can you finish everything by 6 PM tonight?"

"This is a typed up report, right? Not handwritten?"

"Of course, why would I ask you to do a handwritten report?"

"You'd be surprised at the kind of work I do..." Her voice sounding so bored I could imagine her rolling her eyes right now. I can hear her tapping away, loudly now, like she's actually using a typewriter. "So, where do you want to meet up?" I do a double take. _Wait, she expects me to meet up with her?_ I check her Fiverr reviews again. They did mention in-person meet ups, either via Skype if they're from a very far away place, or in various coffee shops in LA. "Uhh... At Starbucks? Wait, so are you taking it?!" I ask, still unsure of my own decision. What if my tutor finds out someone else did my homework for me? Not that I haven't done that before, but it's just not as 'professional', I assume, as this.

"Unless you're not willing to pay 10 bucks for this plus service fee and caffeine fee! Also, I'm not printing this shit. You do that yourself." I can feel her pumped-up energy from where I sit, like she's just casually downing three Redbulls. I look at the clock again. _Fuck it, I need help._

"Alright, I'm fine with that," I finally say, after realizing she stopped typing away in the background, waiting for me to answer. "Good. I need you to make a Fiverr account, by the way, because that's how I'm billing you. Also, send me a sample of your writing or an old essay. I'm texting you my email address. I'm going to work now, I have a really tight deadline to beat. Bye." She says, mocking me before dropping the call. I'm left staring at my phone like a lunatic. I hit 'Save to Contacts' and type Homework Girl before checking her text. _Oh my god, she has a business email..._ This all feels so legit all of a sudden. I turn to my laptop to forward an old book report to her. Then I take all my school stuff away, walk back to the couch and hit play on my FIFA game. This is much more how I like my days off.

Cole is all primped up, walking as if he never even had a swelling foot by the time I got to his house. "Yo, dude, you feelin' better now?" I ask, surprised he can even climb the car with ease. "Yes, and check this out, I got my mom to cook lasagna for Lena!" He holds a canvass bag to up me and it smells so good, I almost beg him to take me to dinner with him and Lena. "Dude that's rad, what did you tell your mom?" I ask as I drive past the suburban houses in Cole's neighborhood. "That I'm giving it to the kind lady who forgave and helped me, even after crashing to her car! My mom was so grateful she didn't press any charges." He's smiling like an idiot, probably congratulating himself for his really awesome game planning. I just scoff and shake my head. "What?!" he asks, his tone a little annoyed though he's still smiling. "You're crazy, man. I don't even know why you're doing this. She's not your usual game, bro." I reason, finally addressing the point. We always tease Cole for being such a Disney fan because all of his exes, even his current girlfriend, Cassidy, appeared on Disney channel. All the girls he goes out of his way to talk to are Disney stars. I think it's weird he's chasing after a nobody nurse right now, although I do know he's been talking to Zendaya at the same time. "I know," he resigns, knowing exactly what I meant. "But, like, okay. You have to admit, she's definitely hot. I know it's too impossible because she's older than me and all that, but I feel like she's flirting with me, like she's egging me to go further..." I shake my head at the complexity of his thoughts. When it comes to ladies, Cole has the tendency to calculate every little possibility, to know all the steps like a dance routine. He talks to women the way he performs onstage. Everything has to be timed and thought of.

That's where we differ. I've been dancing my whole life but I never really felt the need to calibrate art. You learn it and you let it become a part of you. "You sure about that? What if she's just being nice?" I ask after a few seconds of thinking. "I'll just test the waters, see what state she's in. If she not into it... Then at least I still get to be the sweet guy who brings lasagna to work!" He says, his eyebrow lifted up and his smirk all-knowing. "I don't know, man, I know it's nothing serious but be careful. You know what I mean." As the smell of lasagna fills my car, I start to realize the differences Cole and I have when it comes to girls. He's content on being in a relationship with Cass but gets his fun out of working his way to someone else's heart. I'm the exact opposite. But among all the boys, he and I share the strongest bond. I'm not really sure how it all started, but I'm hoping I'll never know how it would end.

By the time we reach the hospital, Cole would start feeling 'pain' on his right foot again. He loosens his shoe laces to prepare his acting stint. "Oh, so that's how you're planning to get her? Pretend you're sick?!" I scoff, pretending to help him out of the car and trying not to laugh at his pretty good limping. "Just shut up and watch, bro." I walk with him to the nurse's station and we wave to Lena who was busy filing papers at the desk. She perks up when she sees Cole and immediately leaves her post. Now I know what Cole meant by getting flirted at by this girl. "Oh my god, I can't believe you really came! Hi Dana, how are you?" She says, turning to me and smiling politely. My eyes widen as I tell her I'm fine. She was rude and huffy just a few days ago when we came to Cole's rescue. _What changed?_ "How's your foot?" She then asks Cole who's still acting on his limp foot. He tells her it's not swelling anymore but it's still painful. "But I really wanted to come see you today. Oh, and," he holds the black bag up to show to her. "My mom actually cooked her specialty for you..." That's my cue to leave. I pretend to check my phone and find one text message waiting for me.

_Homework Girl: Running just 5 minutes late. Traffic is poo, but I'm almost there._

Now I'm not pretending. "Uh, sorry bro, I gotta go meet someone real quick, can I leave you here? Will you be okay?" I watch Prince Eric nod and smile back at me and inside my head I can almost hear him complementing my acting skills. "No, it's okay bro. I have to have my foot checked anyway. Just text me when you're done." He says with Lena standing there in her sparkling white uniform. I can almost see the sparkle getting into Cole's glazed eyes. I say my quick goodbyes before leaving hurriedly.

"One Venti Iced White Mocha!" I walk to the barista's counter to get my drink, phone in hand. Without looking, I reach out and my hand land on another hand. "Oh, sorry..." I mutter. I was busy scrolling through Homework Girl's Tumblr page before looking up to see whose hand I accidentally touched. I see a girl with huge glasses and brown hair, taking her hands off the cup the same time I do. "Uhh... So, which one of you is Dana?" The barista asks, eyes darting from me to her. "Well, that's me..." I answer before haughtily reaching for the cup. I turn around, not even paying attention to the other girl, and sit in a table for three that stands quietly in a corner, right in front of the cafe. I want to make sure Homework Girl sees me immediately because it's past 5 PM and I need to get this over with before I change my mind and run off. What if my tutor sees the difference from my past essays? What if the essays are crappy? What if they're so good?! How the heck am I supposed to explain that I became a master grammarian in a week? Not that I'm really bad at writing, I'm just not a born writer. Out of the blue, I see three girls approaching me, giddy and smiling. "Hi Dana!" One of them, a thin, white tween with a 5er baller band on her wrist, has a camera ready. Upon instinct, I smile and nod at them, not even bothering to take my sunglasses off. "Oh hey," I say, grinning nicely.

"Oh my god, it really is you! Who are you with?"

"Uhh, no one. I'm just waiting for someone."

"Oh, sorry, are you on a date?"

"No, no, I'm uhh... Just waiting for a friend of mine," I say casually and just a little bit awkwardly. I just referred to a stranger as a 'friend of mine'. On paper, that sounds really weird, but what's really weird is that I feel like I actually mean it. "You're not with Cole?" I hear another one of the girls ask. I shake my head, still smiling. "Nah, he's busy today" I answer quickly, not wanting to get into detail. Then they ask for a photo and I oblige, fixing my snapback and standing up to pose with them. I knew it takes a while to shoo these girls away but I've gotten used to things like these so I just let them sidle awkwardly by my table. They're the reason I can buy Starbucks, and order my homework online anyway. A few minutes later, I look up from my Tumblr stalking to find another girl standing by my table, waiting for me to notice her. I ready my polite-but-swaggy-Beast face for another round of selfies. "Are you Dana?" She asks and I smile just a little in response. It's the girl with glasses and she's holding the exact same drink I have. My eyebrows shoot instinctively upward. "Uhh, yeah... Can I help you?" I answer, checking warily for IM5 paraphernalia. Nothing in sight. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone named Dana here..." She says flatly, her glasses shining under the fluorescent lights. I take my sunglasses off to look at her much better. "Oh, you mean you're Homework Girl?" I say, folding my glasses and putting it inside my shirt's pocket. She shrugs and scoffs as if I'm the most disgusting little thing she's seen so far. Then she plops her iPad on the table, sits on the chair nearest me, and sips on her drink so casually, you'd think we actually know each other. "Jeez, you should have briefed me about your celebrity status. I didn't expect finding an IM5 member on my client list."

"Oh, you know me?"

"Yeah my friends won't shut up about you... I'm sure they'll flip out if they find out I'm meeting up with you." I raise my eyebrow at her in surprise. No one's ever shrugged me off that easily. I examine her presence while she taps away on her iPad. She's wearing a loose tank top with TUMBLR printed on it. Her thick, square glasses sits on her nosebridge, prominently devouring her small round face. She has bangs that flopped messily on her forehead and her brown hair is pulled up in a high and tight, messy ponytail. I'm positive she's wearing yoga pants or sweatpants, because what I see underneath the small round table between us definitely isn't jeans, or anything you should be wearing out of the gym, for that matter. She has a red checked flannel shirt wrapped around her waist, just under her top. I can see something in her, the way she sips her drink and the way she dresses, that reminds me of something or someone I've known for so long. I just can't pinpoint what it was at the moment. "Okay... right..." I perk up when she finally turns to me. "Here are the essays, go scan them and tell me what you think. If you don't want them, that's fine, I'll charge you half the price and-"

"Woah, woah, wait up. Why would you still charge me if I didn't like it anyway?"

"Because I frickin' slaved on this for the past five hours, you heartless bastard..." She scowls, rolling her eyes at me. I blink and stare back with a huge 'WOAH' on my face. Then she smiles so sarcastically, and bursts in fits of tiny giggles. I try not to look so confused. "No, I'm joking! But really, it's standard procedure. Didn't you read the Terms and Conditions on my site and my Fiverr account?" I shake my head. _Who's got time for that?!_ "Okay, let me get this straight. I pay you 15 bucks for these three if I like it. I pay you half if I don't like it." She nods while sipping her white mocha and leaning back to her chair. I glance at my G-Shock. It's almost 6 PM and my deadline is tomorrow morning. I don't think I have much choice. I pick up her iPad and read quickly through the first essay's lead paragraph. Without even knowing it, I find myself quickly lost in something too interesting to put down. I scroll on and on, reading the next essay, and the next essay, and finally looking for something more. What's more amazing is that I can actually see myself writing these words and sounding just like this if I had the chancea to read the book.

_If Will finds out I'm finally considering actually reading Frankenstein, he's going to flip out._


End file.
